Peter Angelos should spend his Exxon money on Prince Fielder

Matt Vensel

Orioles owner Peter Angelos will be adding a sizable chunk of change to all of his mesothelioma money after his law firm successfully convinced a Baltimore County jury to force Exxon Mobil to pay more than $495 million in damages to local families and business from a 2006 underground gasoline leak in Jacksonville, Md.

The guy who makes the most sense for the Orioles is Prince Fielder, who is exactly what this team needs to take a leap forward in 2012. He would end the revolving door at first base and would give them a cleanup hitter who will truly be feared. Although that means Angelos would have to shell out more money for annual Warehouse repairs for the damage done by Fielder, who is batting .306 with 21 homers and 69 runs batted in this season.

In reality, that big-money settlement isn’t likely to have any impact on what the Orioles do in free agency unless Angelos was huffing gasoline fumes, too. But maybe doing a good thing for one local community will inspire him to do a good deed for Birdland, and Angelos will allow his Orioles to splurge on a Prince.